1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera having an electronic flash device, and more particularly to a camera in which the electronic flash device is moved to be situated in different positions with respect to a camera body between during non-emission of flash light and during emission of flash light.
2. Description of Related Art
Cameras having a built-in flash device have been popularly in use. Meanwhile, reduction in size of these cameras has been furthered of late. The reduction in size of the cameras results in a less distance between the optical axis of the photo-taking lens and the optical axis of the electronic flash device. A distance from a camera to a photo-taking object such as a person (object distance) is, on the other hand, tending to increase because the zoom ratio of the photo-taking lens has become larger in general. The increase in object distance has increased the probability of having the so-called red-eye phenomenon, which takes place when a flash light emitted from the electronic flash device is made incident on the pupil of the photo-taking object (person) and is then reflected by the retina of the person. Therefore, it has become more important to suppress the red-eye phenomenon.
As one of known methods for suppressing the red-eye phenomenon, there is a method of contracting the pupil of the person (object) by causing an electronic flash device to preliminarily emit light or by lighting up a light source (a lamp) other than the electronic flash device immediately before taking a shot by flash photography. As another known method, there is a so-called pop-up electronic flash device in which the flash emission part thereof is moved away from the optical axis of a photo-taking lens before use of the electronic flash device.
The latter method, i.e., the pop-up electronic flash device, is employed in many cameras, because the flash emission part is arranged to be stowed inside the camera body at the time other than the time of taking a shot, for improved portability of the camera. Cameras having the pop-up electronic flash device are configured in different types. In one type, the camera is arranged to move the flash emission part by utilizing a moving force obtained in shifting a photo-taking lens barrel from a stowage position to a usage (photo-taking) position. In the case of another type, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. HEI 7-225410, the flash emission part is mounted on a sliding cover of the camera body and, in taking a shot, the optical axis of the electronic flash device is moved away from the photo-taking lens at the same time that the photo-taking lens is exposed by sliding the sliding cover.
Further, according to a further known method disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. HEI 8-62675, a film unit of the kind having a lens is arranged as follows. A range of distances between a photo-taking optical axis and a flashing optical axis within which the red-eye phenomenon tends to take place is presumed. A flash emission part is moved to a position farther than the presumed range in taking a shot and is left within the presumed range when no shot is taken.